And it's time once again for my annual wrap-up of my favorite TV shows that came out this year. Or, more accurately, a "wrap-up of TV shows that I saw which came out this year." As always, there's a bunch of shows I never got around to watching that might have ended up on my list... and (more likely) shows I loved but have forgotten about. And here we go... THE 18 BEST

#1 Shōgun (Hulu)
My favorite novel of all time is James Clavell's Noble House. But Clavell is much better-known for another book... Shōgun, a novel set at the onset of the Edo period. There was a very popular television adaptation in 1980 starring Dr. Kildare himself, Richard Chamberlain. It was overwrought and overdramatic, but also entertaining. When it was announced that FX/Hulu was making a contemporary adaptation, I was happy but also concerned. The potential for fucking it up was monumental. The first time around they bent over backwards to make the Japanese a supporting character in their own story. That's not what the book was about. Fortunately for all of us, FX set out to make a faithful adaptation which put Japanese culture and their story at the forefront. It's beautifully made, impecably acted, and uses CGI in all the right ways. It's said that there's a sequel series (or two?) in the works, which is all new levels of terrifying. The next Clavell novel is Gai-Jin which takes place 200 years later, so there's no source material to draw from. I sincerely hope that the people who made Shōgun know what they're doing because I'd love to see more.

#2 Black Doves (Netflix)
The show that came out of nowhere to win me over in a mere six episodes. First of all, Keira Knightley is incredible. Her character is more than a little complex. Plus a total badass. Pair that with Ben Wishaw and Sarah Lancashire, who are always amazing in everything, and it's a show that's primed for dynamite. If they could get the story right. And they did. The wife of an English politician is having an affair. It would be a fairly ordinary show if not for one thing... she's also a spy. A spy who gets involved in a situation that sends several lives into chaos. And there's a cameo appearance that's so unexpected... so good that it made a great show with a great ending even better. Bring on the next season!

#3 The Brothers Sun (Netflix)
If you put Michelle Yeoh into anything, I'm going to watch it. That's just a fact. But this series really put her talents to good use, and the result is a funny, brutal, action-packed bit of genius that I was praying got a second season. Alas, it did not. But it doesn't diminish what they were able to accomplish in the season they had. A guy who's been shielded from "the family business" his entire life gets a rude awakening when the family business drops into his life unexpectedly. Insanity of the best kind ensues.

#4 So Help Me Todd (CBS)
Fuck this shitty network forever for flushing one of their best shows down the toilet and ending it on a cliffhanger. Todd is smart, funny, highly entertaining television which had a cast that killed it every week it wasn't preempted... which was often, because CBS didn't want it to build a fucking audience. It chaps my ass so bad that network execs renew a show just to intentionally kill it like this.

#5 Sugar (Apple TV+)
If you haven't seen this series... just watch it. Don't read anything about it. Don't watch trailers. Just watch it. Then stick with it. Because the show is not what it seems in the early episodes. It takes a hard left-turn into something far more interesting, which was a surprise because nothing prepared me for it. So well done. Colin Farrell is excellent in everything (see The Penguin, below) and he's perfect here. Very, very happy it was renewed for a second season.

#6 The Penguin (HBO Max)
I hated the new The Batman movie and was going to give this spin-off series a big ol' pass... until I heard that Colin Farrell (who's unrecognizable!) was in it, and the rave reviews start dropping. And they were on-point. This is an excellent crime/drama series that just happens to be set in a comic book universe, and they took it all the way. You can set it right next to more "mainstream" series in the same genre, and it's not out of place. I have no idea how/why a show like this exists, but it's worth a watch.

#7 High Potential (Hulu)
Kaitlin Olson is one of the most compelling actors going, and it's amazing that she's still finding time to do Always Sunny in Philadelphia when I'm sure she has a lot of demands on her time for other projects. Like this one! What I love is that they are not making her into some kind of genius as a reason she's helping the police solve crimes... she's just exceedingly observant and has a great memory. And that's more than enough to make her the smartest person in the room. I'm holding off on watching the French(?) original because I'm sure that some of the stories have been taken from there and I don't want them spoiled.

#8 The Gentleman (Netflix)
I will watch absolutely anything by Guy Ritchie because the guy just knows how to create stuff I'll enjoy. And since I loved the movie version of The Gentlemen, I thought the spin-off would be worth a look. And while it's not really a spin-off or re-boot... heck, I don't know how it relates to the original... it was indeed something I enjoyed. I wish that they hadn't taken the brother character to such bizarre extremes because it just wasn't needed, but maybe they'll address that in the second season.

#9 Ripley (Netflix)
This is like the third or fourth time that they've remade The Talented Mr. Ripley, but it's my favorite yet. Not only because Andrew Scott absolutely kills it, but because it's shot as a black-and-white art piece, and every fucking frame is a work of art! It never falters. It's beautiful and interesting from start to finish.

#10 Monsieur Spade (AMC)
This is a take on Sam Spade that was ridiculously well-done. They sunk the money into the cast (Clive Owen!) and the script and the setting to craft a noir-drama that delivers at every turn. I really, really, really hope that they give us a second season where they send Spade back to San Francisco for a hard-noir follow-up. No idea if AMC could finance something like that, but it's worth the money to try.

#11 The English Teacher (Hulu)
This could have just been another "gay teacher" stereotype shoved into the same old jokes in the same old situations... but they make it very clear that this is not going to be the case early into the show. Brian Jordan Alvarez (who writes and stars in it) has come up with something special, and it subverts things nicely while being funny, charming, and entertaining. No word as to whether we're getting a second season, but I sure hope they get on that. This is the kind of unique show we need on television.

#12 Star Wars: Skeleton Crew (Disney+)
I'm one of those people who enjoyed The Acolyte because I thought it was good Star Wars that took things into a direction we haven't seen before. A lot of people didn't agree and it was canceled. Then the hate brigade started dumping on Skeleton Crew next and I thought we were in for a repeat. But here's the thing... this show is too good to die like that. It got a bunch of kids in it, but they're not annoying. They're a terrific set of characters you actually want to see. Plus? Surprisingly dark. And Jude Law. This show is The Goonies in space and Disney really got their shit together this time. It's not even over and I'm hoping for a second season.

#13 Matlock (CBS)
I'm being completely honest when I say that without Kathy Bates in the lead, this show would not be ranking this high. The overall story arc which was a shocking twist at the end of Episode 01 has become a dull endgame in Episode 08. The rest of the cast is struggling to keep up with Bates, as she's stealing absolutely every scene. And the "legal shenanigans of the week" are tired and uninteresting. But... Kathy Bates. She's just phenomenally good in this, and I look forward to new episodes every weeks. Hopefully they find a way to make it all pay off without a cliffhanger, because I will be fucking pissed if I keep hanging in there only to have it canceled before we get answered.

#14 Abbott Elementary (ABC)
This is a series that keeps chugging along... knocking out amazing show after amazing show week after week. Every character is so fully-realized and funny, still, and you just can't help but be entertained by it. Sure the style and tone are taken from The Office, but they've really made it fresh. This could easily go on for ten seasons and I don't think anybody would think it strange if they can maintain the absurd levels of quality and care that Quinta Brunson and Company lovingly pour into it.

#15 Creature Commandos (HBO Max)
It's James Gunn super-hero dynamic crazy in an R-rated package that's well-animated, well-voiced, and of course well-written. Nazi-killing GI Robot is the gift that keeps on giving, and I really, really want to see him brought to the DCU in live-action, which I'm told is a serious possibility.

#16 Reacher (Amazon Prime)
I am crazy in love with this show. First of all, they are trying really hard to honor the books. Second of all, they are casting every role to a flawless degree (including Alan Ritchson as Reacher, which is perfect). No, the second season was not as phenomenal as the first, but it was still loads of violent fun. The fact that Amazon keeps renewing the show (Season 03 drops February 20th!) gives me hope.

#17 Slow Horses (Apple TV+)
This show does not slow down, and that they're managing to keep it so fresh season after season is a testament to everybody involved. Usually spy thrillers lose their steam very quickly and back themselves into a corner that they can't escape from. But I guess everybody involved cares enough to learn from the mistakes of other shows and makes an effort to keep their show moving ahead. Doesn't hurt that you've got Gary Oldman and Kristen Scott Thomas leading an exceptional cast to boot.

#18 Fallout (Amazon Prime)
Shows and movies based on video games usually suck. I was looking forward to Borderlands (based on a game I love) because the cast looked exceptional. No surprise, it sucked hard. And I had zero expectations for Fallout (also based on a game I love)... but they somehow managed to absolutely nail it. I like the story that honors the game. I love the cast. And they sunk in enough money to make it work too. A recipe for success.

• Kaos (Netflix)
  Well waddaya know... a wholly original concept for a series with the perfect cast, note-perfect dialogue, and Jeff Goldblum?!? Sounds perfect! And it is! So let's cancel it so we can shovel a bazillion dollars to Zack Snyder so he can crank out his stupid fucking Rebel Moon bullshit! We're Netflix. That's all we know how to do!
• Heartstopper (Netflix)
  This third season was a drastic step down for me compared to the first two, and yet it's still better than so many series on television. Not sure if the next season is the last (if it even happens), but its probably best if it is before the kids are too old and they are out of source material to draw from.
• What We Do in the Shadows (Hulu/FX)
  This sixth and final season was bittersweet. Yeah, I'm sad a show that I've loved is ending... but I also think that they let things get away from them these past three seasons. Even so, there were moments so hilarious that it was still must-see television for me and I wish more was on the way.
• The Lake (Amazon Prime)
  The first season was a complete shock. Once it popped up on Prime I watched out of boredom and was immediately hooked. Then they announced a renewal and I was happy to see where it might go next. No, it was not renewed for a third, but this final run was more than I would have expected and it went out on a high note.
• Ted (Paramount+)
  All things considered, this is a great series IF you are a fan of the movies AND you can keep your expectations in check AND you can withhold the urge to become offended by the many, many offensive things in the series (including the language). Basically, the show is a prequel to the movies which takes place after the time Ted was a Hollywood sensation and Johnny is in high school. It's a funny (and surprisingly heartwarming) take that was savaged by critics falling all over themselves in an effort to be edgy. Well, I all I wanted was to be entertained, and I loved it. The animation and physical interactions with Ted were flawless, and enough money was spent to make it work.
• Dead Boy Detectives (Netflix)
  Neil Gaiman became toxic after he was accused of sexual assault, so there's no telling if this excellent series was canceled because of that... or what it was. I'm sure nobody at Netflix is going to make a statement on it, so I guess we'll just have to be grateful that we got what we got? I sure hope that the second season of The Sandman still gets released, because losing that would be devastating.
• Echo (Disney+)
  Like Taskmaster, Maya has "photographic reflexes" in the comics. Meaning she can see how somebody moves or fights and mimic that ability. In the MCU Maya is a skilled fighter and combatant, but lacks any powers. Until this new series where she gains what I guess is "super strength" by calling on the strength of the women of her past generations that "echo" through her. She also can use these powers to heal. Or something. Overall I'm not so upset about the change in powers as I am the fact that the show was kinda boring. The entire time I was watching it, the only thing I kept thinking was A) Boy I wish we could get a second season of Hawkeye... B) Boy I can't wait for the new season of Daredevil to get here... and C) Why can't they just give us a Kingpin series, because holy shit is Vincent D'onofrio killing it in this role! That's not great when watching a show about somebody who is not those three characters. But anyway... it was something to watch and it didn't suck, so I guess I can be happy about that.

• Tig Notaro - Hello Again (Amazon Prime)
  I've been a huge fan for a very long time. But I always tune in to whatever Tig has going on because she just keeps getting better and better... and this is the best standup from her I've seen yet. Well worth a look.
• Anthony Jeselnik — Bones and All (Netflix)
  Jeselnik is not the first person to do this particular kind of comedy... but I think he's the best person to have done it. He's so precise in his timing, and that's absolutely everything. I have enjoyed every special he's ever had, plus his TV shows, and am already looking forward to the next one.
• Nate Bargatze — Your Friend, Nate Bargatze (Netflix)
  The fact that Bargatze manages to be this funny while delivering his usual clean material is a miracle. This special isn't in any danger of eclipsing The Tennessee Kid, but it's still a funny watch that has some genuine hilarity happening in spots.
• Rory Scovel — Religion, Sex and a Few Things In Between (HBO Max)
  Scovel's latest is very good. I don't want to say that it's more mature and refined... this is Rory we're talking about... but it does seem as though he's scaling back on the "wacky" enough to build a stronger rapport with the audience and court a new level of success. No more schleppy Member's Only jacket hiked up to his armpits with his shirt hanging out (which is what his last Netflix Special was about). Nope. Rory got himself a stylist!

• Pachinko
• Julia
• The Traitors
• Iwájú
• Star Wars: The Acolyte
• Tokyo Vice
• Agatha All Along
• Apples Never Fall
• Under the Bridge
• Baby Reindeer
• Extraordinary
• Get Millie Black
• Arcane: League of Legends
• Interview with The Vampire
• Lady in the Lake
• True Detective: Night Country
• The Tourist
• Sunny
• Grotesquerie
• A Gentleman in Moscow
• The Sympathizer
• Masters of the Air
• Expats
• The Regime
• Girls5Eva
• Mr. & Mrs. Smith
• Nobody Wants This
• X-Men '97
• Only Murders in the Building

• Dune Prophecy
  This show started out so good. Interesting political intrigue, plots within plots, a great cast, supreme special effects... the list goes on and on. But then... we crossed the half-way point. And suddenly everything got real boring real fast. It's like they made putting the pieces on the board more important than the actual game or something. The series has already been renewed for another season, and I sure hope that they figure out a way to keep things more exciting than the back-half of the first season.
• 3 Body Problem
  Blergh. This was awful to a disproportionate degree compared to my caring about the show. Which is such a shame because I loved the books. It's like every time there was a decision to be made, they went the wrong way or something. The sole scene that hit me was the nanotechnology wire slicing through that ship. Illogical, but beautifully done. Though the entire time I was thinking "Ya know, Ghost Ship did it first and did it better." Oh well. You can't win them all. I suppose for every magnificent adaptation like Villeneuve's, Dune, there's going to be a pile of shit like this.
• The Umbrella Academy
  I don't know what I was expecting for the final season, but it wasn't this hot mess. I read somewhere that they were ordered to cut some extra episodes from the planned amount, but that still doesn't excuse coming up with an entirely unsatisfying ending that had you wondering why anybody in the show ever fucking bothered with absolutely anything. The final two seasons had an uphill battle trying to live up to the first two, but surely somebody could have dreamed up something better than this. I almost want a fifth season to undo what happened so that I don't feel I wasted my fucking time getting invested.
• Tracker
  Justin Hartley is a better actor than he's ever really given credit for (having come up through soap operas), and I've always been waiting for him to get a part that can make use of his talent. Everybody told me that was This is Us, but I couldn't get into that show. I was hoping it might be Tracker but this ain't going to be it either because the writing is awful. I know that there have to be absurd action beats to make things exciting, but when the setup is so horrifically bad... it doesn't matter. The action has been tainted because all you can think of is how idiotic it was to get there. As if that wasn't bad enough, the efforts at a backstory are so one-note. Oh well. Better luck next time Justin Hartley.
• Elsbeth
  I keep giving this show another chance because it feels like something I should be absolutely loving. But every time I just can't do it. I find everything about it to be extremely annoying and unwatchable. Maybe it's not Elsbeth and it's just me.
• Doctor Odyssey
  Physically painful to watch. It's that bad. And do you know how hard it is to say that when the show stars Joshua Jackson? This medical drama on a ship could have been a home run, but it's just fucking senseless and stupid and poor Mr. Jackson is playing his every scene way over the top when he's capable of so much better. I despise this show way too much to watch more than the first episode, so maybe it improves? I will never know.

• Landman
  
• Dexter: Original Sin
  
• The Day of the Jackal
  
• A Man on the Inside
  
• Watson
  
• Batman: Caped Crusader